Love Your Enemies

In my lesson today, loving your enemies is talked about as in Matthew 5:44 which states “But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;” In that verse, there is no where that it says “some” but specifies “all”. In the past, it was easier for me to just avoid someone who had offended me or just “write them off” but I don’t think that is what the Bible means.

Actually, by loving someone who is not easy for me to love has given me much spiritual growth; so do we really have enemies? Below are two verses in the Hymnal which I refer to from time to time:

“Speak gently, it is better far To rule by love than fear; Speak gently, let no harsh word mar The good we may do here.

Speak gently to the erring ones, They must have toiled in vain; Perchance unkindness made them so; O win them back again.”